First of all, let's get one thing straight: Freemasonry is not a secret society, but a centuries-old group of well-known existence. After all, if that weren't the case, we wouldn't be here talking about her, would we?
It is undeniable, however, that Freemasonry is surrounded by many secrets and mysteries that have inflamed the popular imagination for centuries.
We separated some of the supposed practices more curious that are associated with this fraternal society. Whether they are true or not, only true Freemasons will be able to say!
1. Masons never testify against each other
We do not know if this practice is still applied today, but in the past, Freemasons refused to testify against other members of the Masonic order in trials.
Worse than breaking the law - by denying or giving false testimony before a court case - for a Freemason the betrayal of a partner was inconceivable, this being an unpardonable "crime" for the members of the society.
2. Beginners are "hanged"
Calm down, it has nothing to do with dead people hanging by the neck. In initiation rituals, the gallows is used as a symbol for Freemasons, representing the maternal umbilical cord or even a sign so that they can keep silent about the secrets of the Order.
As we said in the introduction to this article, only true Freemasons will know for sure the symbology behind this "threatening" act.
3. obsession with the sun
Freemasons believe in the incredible power that solar energy possesses and supposedly tend to admire the star king during his daily transition on Earth from east to west. Incidentally, for this reason, Masonic buildings are usually built facing one of these directions, east or west.
In Freemasonry there is still the belief that the east (sunrise) symbolizes "rebirth".
4. Embracing all beliefs - except atheists
Freemasonry is not considered a religion, so it does not distinguish its participants by their beliefs, whether they are Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists and so on. All are welcome... minus the atheists.
The reason is simple: to be a Freemason you need believe in a superior force, which is not taken seriously by atheists.
In fact, Freemasonry is known for accepting groups that are traditionally excluded by society, such as homosexuals, for example. And even though women are still not being accepted in several of the Masonic lodges, there are already several mixed groups, where men and women act equally and without discrimination.
5. Are powerful and control the world
In reality this is more a belief than a possible practice in Freemasonry. There has always been the idea that Freemasons are cultured individuals, of great success and power. This image probably came about because many members of the organization are people involved in political and economic issues, intellectuals or artists.
Famous personalities such as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Dom Pedro I, Beethoven and George Washington were members of Freemasonry, causing the aura of "power" to remain and grow.
BONUS: Freemasonry for Young People
One of the basic conditions to be part of Freemasonry is to be of legal age, but this does not prevent children and young people from also belonging to the Freemason community. There are some special orders that are intended exclusively for the little ones:
- International Order of the Rainbow and the International Order of Job's Daughters: for girls between 11 and 20 years old.
- Squires' Table: for boys, between 9 and 11 years old.
- Order of Molay: Exclusive for male members between 12 and 21 years old.
Learn more about meaning of Freemasonry and the Freemasonry Curiosities.